Voices with Homicidal and Suicidal Suggestions

Asked by Nyarlathotep on 2019-12-28 with 1 answer:

I’ve been wondering what else is wrong with me four years ago I was diagnosed with schizoeffective disorder but I’ve always felt something else is wrong with me. For as long as I can remember I’ve heard voices and had impulses that either tell me to kill or commit suicide. My first attempt at my own life was at age five followed by over 8 other attempts from then to age 20. On the other side of the spectrum when I meet new people my mind starts coming up with ways to kill them or it will fantasize about torture and other things. To help get my mind off of those thoughts I turned to God four years ago a few days before my diagnosis I slipped into a trance like state god had told me he wanted a blood sacrifice so I started carving up my arm with a knife then proceeded to paint a picture of a cross with the blood. I feel like I’m a danger to society so I isolate myself from everybody fearing that one day ill lose control of myself and commit a horrific act. I’ve always felt this strong rage deep in my heart, I feel nothing but disdain and contempt for the human race but the one person I hate most, is myself. Every time I get into a relationship I end up self-sabotaging it because the voices tell me no woman would ever in her right mind would date damaged goods like me and if she found out how damaged I am mentally she would leave me without a second thought. So in closing I want to know if I have other disorders I don’t know about.

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to provide a diagnosis over the Internet. I would have to know much more about your life and personal history to know what may be wrong. It’s always best to consult a professional, in-person, for a diagnosis. If you can do that, you should.

You mentioned being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Schizoaffective disorder, and psychotic disorders in general, are thought disorders. From a broad perspective, a thought disorder is a psychological condition that can be defined as a disturbance in thinking, language and perception. It disrupts one’s ability to think logically. This means that individuals with a thought disorder may have difficulty with how they perceive things, interpret things, and respond to information. Individuals who have thought disorders often have a distorted understanding of reality.

Psychosis is an extreme form of thought disorder. Individuals who are psychotic temporarily lose the ability to determine what is real and what is not real. They also lose the ability to organize, control and process information properly. It affects all mental functions, including perception, affect, memory, thoughts, and behavior. It can be a very disconcerting experience.

A further complication of a thought disorder is a difficulty with communication. Often, individuals who are experiencing psychosis have a diminished capacity to communicate effectively. The warped thought processes of psychosis can be observable in speech. Individuals with thought disorders often struggle to communicate coherently and may inadvertently express bizarre and seemingly undecipherable vocal sentiments. Clinically speaking, this is sometimes known as word salad.

It may be that what you have described are the effects of your thought disorder. Nothing else may be wrong. It might explain why you are struggling with these unpleasant and disturbing thoughts. These thoughts seem to be happening to you through no fault of your own. They may simply be an extension of schizoaffective disorder.

It’s not clear from your letter whether or not you are taking medication. If your schizoaffective disorder is not under control, because you’re not currently in treatment, that might explain why you feel the way you do. If you are not in treatment, it would be best for you to start. You may benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, other types of psychotherapy and/or medication. Many people have found that medication is particularly effective for thought disorders. The efficacy of medication can vary depending on the nature of the disorder and the severity of the symptoms, however it’s still worth exploring. In addition, some people tolerate medication better than others and it can take some time to find one you like. Ideally, you should be working with a psychiatrist to determine if medication would be helpful.

Thought disorders can significantly disrupt our understanding of ourselves and the world. You want to do everything in your power to ensure that your symptoms are diminished and or eliminated through treatment. Thankfully, medication has been shown to effectively decrease the symptoms associated with psychosis and can thereby assist in correcting your thought disorder. Hopefully, this answer provides some insight into your potential issue and helps you in determining how to proceed. Good luck with your efforts. Please take care.

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Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW

Kristina Randle, Ph.D., LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist and Assistant Professor of Social Work and Forensics with extensive experience in the field of mental health. She works in private practice with adults, adolescents and families. Kristina has worked in a large array of settings including community mental health, college counseling and university research centers.